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Monday, 8 September 2014

Berlin Festival 2014

After a successful three-day stint in its fresh location for 2014, Arena Park, Berlin Festival just wrapped up for another year. I was fortunate to nab one of the coveted red wristbands right at the last minute, so I made sure to get down and capture some of the atmosphere throughout its short but very sweet run.

While I didn't make last year's event, I gained the second-hand impression that its Kreuzberg venue relocation was a lot more suited to the festival than 2013's Tempelhofer Feld. Comprised of a range of mini venues within close proximity of each other - the Arena main stage, Glashaus, Club der Visionäre, Splash! Mag Stage, White Trash, Badeschiff, Hoppetosse, Art Village and the beach area - the space made for a more compact, all-encompassing experience.

Kicking off on Friday with inimitable Berlin-born crew Bass Gang (they killed it as always), the music bill was varied and vibrant. I won't reel off the entire line-up, but weekend highlights included Bombay Bicycle Club, Jessie Ware, Kid Ink, Neneh Cherry, Editors, Moderat, Foreign Beggars, Genetikk, Jazzanova, Woodkid and Warpaint to name a lil handful.

I spent a sizeable chunk of the weekend in the festival's Art Village. Apart from housing the Hip Hop - namely Splash! Mag - stage, the vast grassy area featured a wealth of arty delights, including a mini open air Kino, craft stalls, dance stage, Staedtler zone and giant-sized picnic benches. The Food Village was also a fetching feature, containing a wholesome crop of the city's culinary joints.

Those in search of a little downtime could saunter over to the Spree-situated Hoppetosse. Being just slightly off the beaten track meant the three-deck party boat attracted a more petite crowd of revellers, making for notably more chilled vibes - not to mention a stunning nighttime panorama. A winning way to wind down a pretty first-rate festival.